]]>http://www.elgritonm.org/2014/01/23/new-mexican-hustle/feed/0Massive Air Force jet fuel spill in Albuquerque still just sitting therehttp://www.elgritonm.org/2013/05/14/massive-air-force-jet-fuel-spill-in-albuquerque-still-just-sitting-there/
http://www.elgritonm.org/2013/05/14/massive-air-force-jet-fuel-spill-in-albuquerque-still-just-sitting-there/#commentsTue, 14 May 2013 17:36:41 +0000adminhttp://www.elgritonm.org/?p=2897Residents of Albuquerque learned in 2008 that a jet fuel leak from Kirtland Air Force base had migrated off the base at some point in the previous two decades, moving underground through the adjoining southeast quadrant of the city. At the time, the size of the plume was downplayed, but it soon became clear that the size of the spill was massive. Now estimated at 24,000,000 gallons, in fact no one really knows how big it is or how fast its moving. Or, for that matter, what is necessary to clean it up before a significant portion of the city’s water supply is contaminated. From La Jacarita:

Yet in 14 years, nothing significant has been done to remediate the spill, which is moving in the direction of Albuquerque’s five Ridgecrest wells that furnish approximately 20 percent of the city’s drinking water.

Three-quarters of the plume is off the base, and so far no one is addressing what will happen if the contamination shows up in the wells. McCoy said the Air Force has no contingency plan in place if the water does become contaminated.

The Water Utility Authority (WUA) has said it will shut down the wells, but where [...]]]>

Residents of Albuquerque learned in 2008 that a jet fuel leak from Kirtland Air Force base had migrated off the base at some point in the previous two decades, moving underground through the adjoining southeast quadrant of the city. At the time, the size of the plume was downplayed, but it soon became clear that the size of the spill was massive. Now estimated at 24,000,000 gallons, in fact no one really knows how big it is or how fast its moving. Or, for that matter, what is necessary to clean it up before a significant portion of the city’s water supply is contaminated. From La Jacarita:

Yet in 14 years, nothing significant has been done to remediate the spill, which is moving in the direction of Albuquerque’s five Ridgecrest wells that furnish approximately 20 percent of the city’s drinking water.

Three-quarters of the plume is off the base, and so far no one is addressing what will happen if the contamination shows up in the wells. McCoy said the Air Force has no contingency plan in place if the water does become contaminated.

The Water Utility Authority (WUA) has said it will shut down the wells, but where will they find new sources of water, and how will they treat massive amounts of water to use for industrial purposes?” he asked. “NMED doesn’t have any authority over the city wells once it hits. That goes to the Water Utility. They are stakeholders under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). They could bring a citizens suit against KAFB right now if they wanted to.”

In December 2012 the WUA passed a resolution asking that the KAFB work with its contractor and the NMED to accelerate efforts to put an aggressive plan in place by the end of 2013 to clean up the soil and water and for a contingency plan if city wells are hit. Maggie Hart-Stevens, board liaison with the base and a county commissioner, has questioned Kirtland statements that the plume is “stable,” no longer moving and will simply go away from natural processes. The WUA is putting in a well with the U.S. Geological Survey to get its own data.

Our calls to the WUA were not returned in time for publication.

Perhaps the lack of aggressive enforcement has to do with the Air Force claims that it has an economic impact of $7.8 billion. Could that tidy sum be the rationale for Governor Susana Martinez’s urging NMED to deal gently with the KAFB? According to an article in the Albuquerque Journal dated June 11, 2011, the Governor wrote a letter to Air Force Assistant Secretary Terry A. Yonkers blaming the “previous leadership” for the state’s poor working relationship with the Air Force and exuding praise for KAFB’s efforts “that allows for the most effective cleanup in the shortest time frame.” The governor’s assurance of a much more cozy relationship in future was applauded by former base manager Col. Robert Maness.

But a staff member at NMED who asked to remain anonymous confirmed McCoy’s repeated allegations that Kirtland would have done nothing if the department had not put the pressure on.

Read the entire expose of military inaction and bureaucratic lack of urgency about the mammoth jet fuel spill from Kirtland Air Force base that threatens Albuquerque’s drinking water supply, at La Jicarita.

]]>http://www.elgritonm.org/2013/05/14/massive-air-force-jet-fuel-spill-in-albuquerque-still-just-sitting-there/feed/0Navajo border town activist for human rights honoredhttp://www.elgritonm.org/2013/05/10/navajo-border-town-activist-for-human-rights-honored/
http://www.elgritonm.org/2013/05/10/navajo-border-town-activist-for-human-rights-honored/#commentsFri, 10 May 2013 15:29:51 +0000Kent Patersonhttp://www.elgritonm.org/?p=2890In his long life, John Redhouse has worn many hats and fought even more battles. But seated in a University of New Mexico auditorium on a recent day, the seasoned Dine’ (Navajo) activist and writer looked laid back as he donned a baseball cap, a pair of shades and a long necklace. With gray whiskers revealing the years, Redhouse shared his formative experiences growing up in the rough town of Farmington bordering the huge Navajo Nation.

He recalled seeing restaurant signs that once read “No Dogs or Indians Allowed.” And he remembered meeting a man with an alcohol addiction, a spirit seemingly lost in the cultural abyss of a border town. But the young Navajo soon discovered that the troubled man’s family had been dispossessed of its land, ejected from Mother Earth by a coal company’s extraction of the black stuff for the neon glittering of the Southwest.

“He was powerless and couldn’t deal with it, and moved to the city and started drinking,”Redhouse said. “That was the only way he could deal with it, and that profoundly affected me.”

A scholar, writer and organizer, Redhouse was honored at an event last month sponsored by the UNM Kiva Club, Native [...]]]>

In his long life, John Redhouse has worn many hats and fought even more battles. But seated in a University of New Mexico auditorium on a recent day, the seasoned Dine’ (Navajo) activist and writer looked laid back as he donned a baseball cap, a pair of shades and a long necklace. With gray whiskers revealing the years, Redhouse shared his formative experiences growing up in the rough town of Farmington bordering the huge Navajo Nation.

He recalled seeing restaurant signs that once read “No Dogs or Indians Allowed.” And he remembered meeting a man with an alcohol addiction, a spirit seemingly lost in the cultural abyss of a border town. But the young Navajo soon discovered that the troubled man’s family had been dispossessed of its land, ejected from Mother Earth by a coal company’s extraction of the black stuff for the neon glittering of the Southwest.

“He was powerless and couldn’t deal with it, and moved to the city and started drinking,”Redhouse said. “That was the only way he could deal with it, and that profoundly affected me.”

A scholar, writer and organizer, Redhouse was honored at an event last month sponsored by the UNM Kiva Club, Native American Studies, the Department of American Studies and other university and community departments and organizations.

Organizers billed the day-long gathering as “Indigenous Liberation and the Grounds of Decolonization: A Symposium to Honor the Life and Work of John Redhouse.”

In a lengthy session, Redhouse delved into the spiritual inspirations, history and legacies of late 20th century Native American activism. His accounts of pivotal times were drawn out in a question-and-answer format with Jennifer Denetdale, UNM associate professor of American Studies.

A founder of Indians Against Exploitation and the Coaliton for Navajo Liberation, Redhouse spoke at some length about how Native activism arose in response to racist power structures and practices in the towns of Gallup and Farmington bordering the Navajo Nation.

By the late 1960s, long-simmering community resentments over outsider control of the Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial and the exploitation of sacred Native American culture for the benefit of non-Indians boiled over in protest and organizing.

According to Redhouse, Raymond Nakai, who was Navajo tribal chairman from 1963-1971, attempted to convince lawmakers in the New Mexico state capitol of Santa Fe to yank funding from the annual event. As a young man, Redhouse said he became involved in a “second wave” of protest against the Gallup Ceremonial, which soon became a national issue in Indian Country and evoked mass demonstrations that culminated in confrontations with the police and the arrests of demonstrators.

North of Gallup, serious conflicts were likewise brewing in the border town of Farmington. For years, Native Americans had been the victims of hate crimes by whites, and the violence hit a crisis stage when 10 Navajo men were found mutilated and murdered around Gallup and Farmington during 1973 and 1974. Three non-Indian teens from Farmington were arrested for three of killings and sentenced to two years in the New Mexico Boy’s School.

The crimes set off a powerful protest movement, and more confrontations with police, including a Farmington march of 4,000 people that Redhouse called the “largest demonstration of Indians” at the time.

Reflecting on the Farmington struggle, the veteran activist credited the movement for forcing some “changes,” as well as gaining the attention of the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, which issued a historic report in 1975.

More than three decades later, Harvard University’s Pluralism Project reviewed both the 1975 report and a follow-up report issued in 2005. Of the original report, the author’s stated:

“(Farmington) was reprimanded for the state of interracial relations: a failure on the part of elected officials to assume responsibility for connecting the different populations in Farmington, police prejudice, lack of access to health care, minority under-representation in government and business, and economic discrimination were all reported. Farmington had gained the unofficial nickname of ‘the Selma, Alabama of the Southwest.’”

Thirty years later, the U.S. Civil Rights Commission asserted that important progress had been made in interracial relations and power equations in Farmington, but found short-comings in political representation, business, hiring and lending practices, and the teaching of Navajo culture and values in the nearby Shiprock school system, according to the Harvard review.

]]>http://www.elgritonm.org/2013/05/10/navajo-border-town-activist-for-human-rights-honored/feed/0Female representation in public office on the decline in New Mexicohttp://www.elgritonm.org/2013/05/09/female-representation-in-public-office-on-the-decline-in-new-mexico/
http://www.elgritonm.org/2013/05/09/female-representation-in-public-office-on-the-decline-in-new-mexico/#commentsThu, 09 May 2013 19:22:40 +0000Adriana Sanchezhttp://www.elgritonm.org/?p=2874Running for office isn’t necessarily an easy thing, with the hurdles of fundraising and public scrutiny. In New Mexico, other than a few well-paid positions, much of elected office is voluntary or very low-paid, so being an elected official often takes an enormous amount of time away from ones own job or family. These may be some of the factors in the low rates of women serving in elected office. According to the Center for American Women in Politics (CAWP), a national outreach organization focused on addressing women’s under-representation in political office, the number of women in public office in New Mexico has decreased from 31.3 percent in 2006 to 27.7 percent in 2012. Let’s take the state legislature as an example. During the 2013 legislative session the state showed 6 women in the State Senate out of 42 and 25 out of 70 in the House of Representatives.

Christine Sierra, Director of the Hispanic Research Institute at the University of New Mexico, says that although the number of women in office in New Mexico is not the lowest within the 50 states, chances for women to run in New Mexico can be few and far between because of incumbency. The [...]]]>

Running for office isn’t necessarily an easy thing, with the hurdles of fundraising and public scrutiny. In New Mexico, other than a few well-paid positions, much of elected office is voluntary or very low-paid, so being an elected official often takes an enormous amount of time away from ones own job or family. These may be some of the factors in the low rates of women serving in elected office. According to the Center for American Women in Politics (CAWP), a national outreach organization focused on addressing women’s under-representation in political office, the number of women in public office in New Mexico has decreased from 31.3 percent in 2006 to 27.7 percent in 2012. Let’s take the state legislature as an example. During the 2013 legislative session the state showed 6 women in the State Senate out of 42 and 25 out of 70 in the House of Representatives.

Christine Sierra, Director of the Hispanic Research Institute at the University of New Mexico, says that although the number of women in office in New Mexico is not the lowest within the 50 states, chances for women to run in New Mexico can be few and far between because of incumbency. The Hispanic Research Institute puts together Ready to Run NM, a yearly state conference that addresses the under-representation of women in public office.

“One of the things that prevents women and people of color from running to win elective offices are the number of incumbents, it is very difficult to defeat an incumbents when that incumbent is running for reelection,” said Sierra. “If women are already fewer and underrepresented, then they are likely to be the challengers not the incumbents, so there is a structural problem there. This is why when there are open seats there are so many candidates that come forward because your chances of winning office are better when you are not running against an incumbent and it is an open seat.”

Apart from structural challenges in New Mexico, Sierra points to specific challenges that may make running for office in the state a foreign or distant idea at best for highly capable and accomplished women in the New Mexico.

“It takes a lot of things to come together to run a successful campaign,” she said. “It takes support from ones family and friends, it takes money, it takes advisers who can give you really good strategy and advice, and it just takes a lot of commitment.”

Currently at the national level women in public positions occupy 18.3 percent of the 535 seats in the U.S. Congress and 20 percent of 100 seats in the Senate and 17.9 percent of the seats available in the House of Representatives. Of the five U.S. Congressional seats that give voice to New Mexicans in Washington D.C., only one seat is occupied by a woman.

Georgene Louis and Patricia Roybal Caballero, two freshmen New Mexico state Representatives, shared with El Grito their experiences and impressions of running successful campaigns and serving in the 2013 New Mexican legislative session as females and women of color.

“Asking for money was my least favorite aspects of the campaign. It is tough because we know we have to do it but I think it’s difficult because I think as women we are not used to asking for a lot of help and we are usually used to doing everything on our own so it was a challenge, “ said Louis. “I think for our society it is important to invest in women to achieve better representation and bring different perspectives to the discussion table.”

Apart from fundraising, Louis shared with El Grito that work life balance was a challenge, calling it a “juggling act.”

The biggest challenge was definitely the time. I’m a single parent and even though my daughter is grown I still have to look out for her and make enough time to do well in my job so that I can support us but also run a campaign,” she said. “That’s a big factor in not only running for a position but once you are there finding the work-life balance. … it’s always a juggling act.”

Louis said she thinks it’s getting easier for women to run, because a lot of people are willing to support women because they see that they “bring a different perspective to the table.”

Representative Roybal Caballero said the timing was right for her to run for office, so when she saw an open seat become available she took the opportunity to run for it. Roybal Caballero remarked on the challenges that face a person who comes into the legislature who has a different background.

“Passing effective legislation means building a lot of relations and that takes time, people have to get to know you and the hardest part of doing what I’m doing is that I have a different world view and a different way of looking at things,” she said. “My experiences are based on my social-cultural background and that clashes sometimes with the way the other legislators see things.”

Rep. Georgene Louis on running for office:

Rep. Patricia Roybal Caballero on deciding to run, timing was right:

]]>http://www.elgritonm.org/2013/05/09/female-representation-in-public-office-on-the-decline-in-new-mexico/feed/0International Workers’ Day celebrated in Albuquerquehttp://www.elgritonm.org/2013/05/06/international-workers-day-celebrated-in-albuquerque/
http://www.elgritonm.org/2013/05/06/international-workers-day-celebrated-in-albuquerque/#commentsMon, 06 May 2013 13:06:56 +0000Aurea Cardielhttp://www.elgritonm.org/?p=2863May 1 is celebrated as International Worker’s Day around the world, with countries around the world marking it as a national holiday. But many people don’t realize it’s a celebration that originated in the United States. ”May Day is International Workers’ Day,” says Roberto Roibal, of the SouthWest Organizing Project. “It’s an American holiday. It was founded in 1886 in the United States, and since then workers of the world have united and made it their day also. It belongs to all workers all over the world.”

In Albuquerque, the day didn’t go unrecognized. Marchers traveled down Central Avenue, ending at a local park in the South San Pedro neighborhood. “I am here to be with my people and to support workers and demonstrate that we are hurting and that we need to fix this.” – Santana Avila, a UNM Student.

Participants wore red and black, and some painted their faces as Zombies or Calaveras. During the march, participants chanted and sang social justice songs. Along the route, the marchers stopped at Wal-Mart, serenading Wal-Mart shoppers and workers with “The Internationale” and “Friends with Low Wages”. At the park, participants shared their stories about their work experiences, there was theater of [...]]]>

May 1 is celebrated as International Worker’s Day around the world, with countries around the world marking it as a national holiday. But many people don’t realize it’s a celebration that originated in the United States. ”May Day is International Workers’ Day,” says Roberto Roibal, of the SouthWest Organizing Project. “It’s an American holiday. It was founded in 1886 in the United States, and since then workers of the world have united and made it their day also. It belongs to all workers all over the world.”

In Albuquerque, the day didn’t go unrecognized. Marchers traveled down Central Avenue, ending at a local park in the South San Pedro neighborhood. “I am here to be with my people and to support workers and demonstrate that we are hurting and that we need to fix this.” – Santana Avila, a UNM Student.

Participants wore red and black, and some painted their faces as Zombies or Calaveras. During the march, participants chanted and sang social justice songs. Along the route, the marchers stopped at Wal-Mart, serenading Wal-Mart shoppers and workers with “The Internationale” and “Friends with Low Wages”. At the park, participants shared their stories about their work experiences, there was theater of the oppressed, and there was food. The event was sponsored by La Raza Unida and (un) Occupy Albuquerque.

“The theme this year is ‘Dying for a Living Wage, Zombie walk for May Day’,” said Maria Brazil of (un) Occupy Albuquerque. “To me it’s about people struggling to make it on what is considered minimum wage. You know they just raised the minimum wage from 7.50 to 8.50, but we know that a living wage is almost double that. A living wage would be enough to have our needs met. We wouldn’t be having to make choices, like should we pay our light bill, or should we go to the grocery store.”

Here is a slide show from the event:

]]>http://www.elgritonm.org/2013/05/06/international-workers-day-celebrated-in-albuquerque/feed/0Immigration reform bill offers ray of hope to manyhttp://www.elgritonm.org/2013/04/29/immigration-reform-bill-offers-ray-of-hope-to-many/
http://www.elgritonm.org/2013/04/29/immigration-reform-bill-offers-ray-of-hope-to-many/#commentsMon, 29 Apr 2013 12:48:55 +0000Adriana Sanchezhttp://www.elgritonm.org/?p=2848Comprehensive immigration reform is finally on the table for debate in a real way, with U.S. Senators taking up an immigration bill that was drafted by a group of eight senators known as the “gang of eight,”. The bill offers the possibility of legal status to multiple categories of immigrants, such as “Dreamers” and agricultural workers, but not to individuals accused of a felony, three or more misdemeanors, or a serious crime in another country. It also excludes a person who has voted illegally, or if they are found to present a national security risk.

Christine Sierra, Director of the Hispanic Research Institute at the University of New Mexico (UNM) says that the moment is now for immigration reform, citing cooperation across interest groups to make it happen.

“U.S. businesses have been in conversation with labor unions,” Sierra told El Grito. “There is a need to get people documented and the American public seems to understand that recent immigrants are part of our fabric.”

Sarah Nolan, Executive Director for CAFe, a non-profit organization based in Las Cruces that serves low income and undocumented communities, says the bill is a step in the right direction, but it could be so much better. [...]]]>

Comprehensive immigration reform is finally on the table for debate in a real way, with U.S. Senators taking up an immigration bill that was drafted by a group of eight senators known as the “gang of eight,”. The bill offers the possibility of legal status to multiple categories of immigrants, such as “Dreamers” and agricultural workers, but not to individuals accused of a felony, three or more misdemeanors, or a serious crime in another country. It also excludes a person who has voted illegally, or if they are found to present a national security risk.

Christine Sierra, Director of the Hispanic Research Institute at the University of New Mexico (UNM) says that the moment is now for immigration reform, citing cooperation across interest groups to make it happen.

“U.S. businesses have been in conversation with labor unions,” Sierra told El Grito. “There is a need to get people documented and the American public seems to understand that recent immigrants are part of our fabric.”

Sarah Nolan, Executive Director for CAFe, a non-profit organization based in Las Cruces that serves low income and undocumented communities, says the bill is a step in the right direction, but it could be so much better. “Right now we are trying to understand the bill and are seeking the help of experts to grasp every detail but it seems that senators are trying to see what will be enough to appease the immigrant communities. For them it’s a political calculus but to us is a moral dilemma,” she said.

Among the main concerns the bill holds for CAFe are the one-year window to apply for legalizations, the qualifications to be eligible particularly from individuals with criminal records behind them, the elimination of family unit visas and fees that are required to start the application process.

There is a long way to go before the new bill becomes law, but to many members of the Albuquerque community it provides a ray of hope.

“My parents have been here for more than 22 years,” says Marilu Ugalde, a UNM student who is one of the few in her family born in this country. “My mom and dad don’t know much about the bill because work absorbs most of their days but I’m sure they will be willing to find a third job to raise the money. What I don’t know is if they will be able to raise the money in just one year.”

According to the Pew Research Center, New Mexico is home to 85,000 undocumented immigrants. Rachel Lazar, Executive Director for El Centro de Igualdad Y Derechos, a local immigrant rights advocacy organization, says these immigrants are “our mothers, fathers, siblings, neighbors, co-workers, fellow-parishioners.”

“For too long, our broken immigration system has led to families been torn apart, workers being exploited, and some of our quintessential rights being eroded,” Lazar says. ”The bill is a good start to rebuilding an immigration system which more closely reflects our collective values and is beneficial to our families, all workers, and the economy. Although immigrants already contribute so much to the economic, social, and cultural fabric of New Mexico, pragmatic and humane immigration reform will allow immigrants to live up to their full potential, to the benefit of all.”

Cristina Parker, Communications Director for The Border Network For Human Rights, a human rights and immigration reform organization based in El Paso Texas, has ambivalent feelings towards the border security section of the new immigration bill.

“We are happy with the inclusion of language to create DHS Border Oversight Task Force in the proposed legislation. This task force will allow individuals from both sides of the border to advise congress about what works and doesn’t work in the border region,” she says. “On the other hand we don’t need more security in a border that is already ultra secure with an apprehension rate of more than 90 percent”.

The bill allocates three billion dollars to increase the number of border patrol agents, customs officers, surveillance cameras, drones, and the staff to man them. The bill also stipulates that a goal of 90 percent rate of apprehensions and turn-back must be met.

If the 90 percent quota is not met by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), then a border commission of governors and attorneys general from borders states would have an additional five years to implement more stringent measures. And, these enforcement measures must be substantially complete before the legalization provisions of the bill can take place.

“The idea of having Border governors in charge of border security is a nightmare,” says Parker. “Some of these Governors are openly hostile towards immigrants and are more than willing to lie if it helps advance their political agenda.”

The same concern about the gang of eight proposal is shared by Brian Erickson, Policy Advocate with the American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico, who said in an email that while the bill is “certainly a breakthrough, it is in need of many improvements.”

“In particular, the bill calls on the government to spend billions of dollars in taxpayer money to further expand border enforcement despite the fact we’ve already seen extraordinary investment in border security to meet and exceed previous benchmarks,” Erickson says. ”Instead of following this flawed frame, reform must reverse the trend of unwarranted spending without regard for actual security needs that has resulted in a bloated system and increased violations of basic rights in border communities, including incidents of excessive use of force and racial profiling of individuals who call this region home.”

]]>http://www.elgritonm.org/2013/04/29/immigration-reform-bill-offers-ray-of-hope-to-many/feed/0Bernalillo County Commissioners give minimum wage workers a boost in payhttp://www.elgritonm.org/2013/04/24/bernalillo-county-commissioners-give-minimum-wage-workers-a-boost-in-pay/
http://www.elgritonm.org/2013/04/24/bernalillo-county-commissioners-give-minimum-wage-workers-a-boost-in-pay/#commentsWed, 24 Apr 2013 13:14:52 +0000adminhttp://www.elgritonm.org/?p=2853Bernalillo County Commissioners voted to raise the minimum wage by one dollar to $8.50 last night. Commissioners heard over an hour of testimony before passing the bill on a 3-2 vote, with a large contingent of workers showing up in support.

“There’s a lot of people left out (of the Albuquerque minimum wage increase), they feel that the Albuquerque minimum wage is not fair to them because they don’t get paid that,” Saul Villa explained to El Grito about why he was there to support the bill. “I believe it should be fair to everybody. You know, we’re all working hard. $7.50 is barely enough to pay the bills. And 8.50 is not much different, but is a little extra to help.”

“Raising the minimum wage would be helpful to my family by giving us a better quality of life,” Gabriel Hernandez testified in Spanish, which was then translated for Commissioners. It would allow him to take his family out to local restaurants, or for picnics in the park, more often, he said.

Plus, most of the workers he works with make the minimum wage and haven’t seen a raise “in a very long time,” Hernandez said.

The sponsor of [...]]]>

Bernalillo County Commissioners voted to raise the minimum wage by one dollar to $8.50 last night. Commissioners heard over an hour of testimony before passing the bill on a 3-2 vote, with a large contingent of workers showing up in support.

“There’s a lot of people left out (of the Albuquerque minimum wage increase), they feel that the Albuquerque minimum wage is not fair to them because they don’t get paid that,” Saul Villa explained to El Grito about why he was there to support the bill. “I believe it should be fair to everybody. You know, we’re all working hard. $7.50 is barely enough to pay the bills. And 8.50 is not much different, but is a little extra to help.”

“Raising the minimum wage would be helpful to my family by giving us a better quality of life,” Gabriel Hernandez testified in Spanish, which was then translated for Commissioners. It would allow him to take his family out to local restaurants, or for picnics in the park, more often, he said.

Plus, most of the workers he works with make the minimum wage and haven’t seen a raise “in a very long time,” Hernandez said.

The sponsor of the measure, Commissioner Art de la Cruz, spoke at length about why he thinks the raise is necessary, noting the long history in the United States of having to “legislate fairness.”

“Not every company, not every corporation, not every small business understands fairness,” he said. “…there are times it is necessary, and it becomes necessary because it isn’t happening by itself.”

Commissioner Wayne Johnson opposed the bill, making a case that raising the minimum wage had hurt teenagers, developmentally disabled workers, and people on fixed incomes in Santa Fe, where a similar wage increase was passed a few years ago.

“How do we help them if we take opportunities away from them?” he said, citing a 22% teen unemployment rate in that city.

But Commissioner de la Cruz was blunt in his disagreement with the suggestion that most minimum wage workers aren’t adults.

“This notion that we’re affecting a bunch of kids is ridiculous,” he said. “Seventy six percent of New Mexicans are having to work these minimum wage jobs. Seventy six percent of them are adults, not children, and they have to work for this minimal amount of money.”

The new law covers the unincorporated area of Bernalillo County. Albuquerque residents voted to increase the citywide minimum wage to $8.50 in 2012. Both new laws also provide that the minimum wage will be adjusted upward in line with inflation, so that the buying power of workers isn’t eroded. But unlike the Albuquerque wage, the Bernalillo County law doesn’t provide for an increase in wages for tipped workers, who have long made $2.13 an hour. In Albuquerque, those workers now make $3.83 an hour.

Saul Villa on why raising the Bernalillo County minimum wage is important:

The slogan “Sí Se Puede”, which translates to “Yes it can be done”, is mostly used to inspire collective action worldwide. The famous slogan has been translated, shaped and transformed by diverse groups since the 1970′s to mobilize people in support of causes, like the United Farm Workers in the 1970s, The Obama Campaign in 2008 and even Aeromexico, one of Mexico’s main airlines.

For many, Si Se Puede goes hand in hand with César Chávez, the well known civil rights activist who along with Huerta led the struggle of the United Farm Workers in the 1970s to eliminate inhumane working conditions for agricultural workers.

When she addressed the crowd last weekend, she talked about the current situation of marginalized communities in the county and praised the legacy of Cesar Chavez, who died in 1993. But she also claimed the phrase Si, se Puede, as her own.

The slogan “Sí Se Puede”, which translates to “Yes it can be done”, is mostly used to inspire collective action worldwide. The famous slogan has been translated, shaped and transformed by diverse groups since the 1970′s to mobilize people in support of causes, like the United Farm Workers in the 1970s, The Obama Campaign in 2008 and even Aeromexico, one of Mexico’s main airlines.

For many, Si Se Puede goes hand in hand with César Chávez, the well known civil rights activist who along with Huerta led the struggle of the United Farm Workers in the 1970s to eliminate inhumane working conditions for agricultural workers.

When she addressed the crowd last weekend, she talked about the current situation of marginalized communities in the county and praised the legacy of Cesar Chavez, who died in 1993. But she also claimed the phrase Si, se Puede, as her own.

“I was the one who came up with Si, se Puede!” she said.

EL Grito asked Huerta to share how the famous slogan was born. It was a spontaneous response to those leaders who said in Arizona, No, se Puede:

]]>http://www.elgritonm.org/2013/04/09/the-birth-of-si-se-puede-has-roots-in-arizona-farm-workers-struggles/feed/0Sex Ed important topic for student papershttp://www.elgritonm.org/2013/04/08/sex-ed-important-topic-for-student-papers/
http://www.elgritonm.org/2013/04/08/sex-ed-important-topic-for-student-papers/#commentsMon, 08 Apr 2013 21:57:28 +0000Stefany Olivashttp://www.elgritonm.org/?p=2801Last month the Central New Mexico Community College paper, The CNM Chronicle, released a special edition that explored the vast culture of sexual identities and practices. The CNM Chronicle presented the topics in a way that was educational and broke the stigmatism surrounding sex in general. Articles explored subjects important to individuals across the spectrum of sexual identity, and preference, and the decision to practice abstinence.

These articles are also helping open important doorways for discussions of how sex education should be taught in today’s society. Abstinence is extremely valuable, but abstinence-only methods are controversial and not always proven to be effective. Sex education should include several aspects like sexual identity, practices, health, anatomy, emotional relationships, reproductive rights and responsibilities, and birth control.

A review published by the British Medical Journal titled, “Interventions to Reduce Unintended Pregnancies Among Adolescents: Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials,” revealed that abstinence-only sex education programs did not decrease the likelihood of pregnancy in women or improve the use of birth control, compared to comprehensive sex education programs.

According to the website, “Four abstinence programmes and one school based sex education programme were associated with an increase in number of pregnancies among partners of young male participants. [...]]]>

Last month the Central New Mexico Community College paper, The CNM Chronicle, released a special edition that explored the vast culture of sexual identities and practices. The CNM Chronicle presented the topics in a way that was educational and broke the stigmatism surrounding sex in general. Articles explored subjects important to individuals across the spectrum of sexual identity, and preference, and the decision to practice abstinence.

These articles are also helping open important doorways for discussions of how sex education should be taught in today’s society. Abstinence is extremely valuable, but abstinence-only methods are controversial and not always proven to be effective. Sex education should include several aspects like sexual identity, practices, health, anatomy, emotional relationships, reproductive rights and responsibilities, and birth control.

A review published by the British Medical Journal titled, “Interventions to Reduce Unintended Pregnancies Among Adolescents: Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials,” revealed that abstinence-only sex education programs did not decrease the likelihood of pregnancy in women or improve the use of birth control, compared to comprehensive sex education programs.

According to the website, “Four abstinence programmes and one school based sex education programme were associated with an increase in number of pregnancies among partners of young male participants. There were significantly fewer pregnancies in young women who received a multifaceted programme, though baseline differences in this study favoured the intervention.”

Editor-in-Chief Jyllian Roach, who identifies as bisexual, said that the topics covered in the edition were ones people normally do not discuss.

“We talk about pregnancy, we talk about STDs and STIs, but there’s so much more to sex that we really don’t talk about. I wanted, as an office, to educate people on these things,” said Roach.

But a few hours after the issue was released, CNM administration officials removed all print editions from the stands, and confiscated prints from anyone holding an issue. Then they announced that the Chronicle staff was to be transferred to new work-study positions, and suspend printing until summer term.

Administration later said they confiscated the newspapers because a minor was interviewed in the article titled, “Saying no: Why some choose abstinence.” CNM had to inspect if any laws were broken in regards to her interview.

Roach said she knew that The Chronicle would receive several reactions from printing this issue, including a reaction from administration.

“The things that I knew were probably going to arise, was that people were going to think it was in poor taste, who disagreed with our decision to print this,” said Roach.

The issue provided information valuable to the health and awareness of our community. In the article titled, “Safe, sane, and consensual: Exploring the world of BDSM,” two individuals were interviewed who engage in a sexual lifestyle of explicit roles, with one person being dominant and one or others being submissive. The article explores not only the story of the individuals, but provides resources on how to make informed decisions when entering such a lifestyle.

The edition also printed an article titled “A rainbow of sexuality,” in which Roach interviewed individuals who identify as heterosexual, transsexual, bisexual, homosexual, and lesbian. The interview was reported as a dialogue, where everyone discussed their sexual identity and different aspects of their lifestyle.

This article was valuable because it was an open discussion that represents the great diversity of people in Albuquerque. It’s particularly relevant in light of the recent Supreme Court hearings of cases that challenge California’s Proposition 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act, both of which deny same-sex spouses benefits that male-female spouses receive.

“We were very careful in making sure that what we were saying was correct— all the way across. That we weren’t accidentally giving misinformation because of our own misinterpretations of things, or our own assumptions,” Roach said.

CNM administrators would find within the next 24 hours that no laws were broken. At an emergency publication board meeting the next day, President Kathie Winograd ended the suspension of the staff and gave back all the prints. At that meeting there was also a discussion about whether the staff is properly trained to take on such a sensitive topic.

As a former Managing Editor, with experience also as the Business Manager and a Staff Reporter at The CNM Chronicle, I can attest to the level of professionalism at this student run newspaper and ability of the staff to present an informative, nonbiased issue to its audience.

The staff frequently discusses media law and has the opportunity to attend national conventions, paid for by funds generated through The Chronicle, where they also attend several workshops concerning media practice and law.

“As far as legalities went, I’m always really really careful to make sure that what we’re doing is legal, because it’s a responsibility of the press to do that,” said Roach.

“I actually feel at this point that what CNM did was actually a really great thing, not because I enjoyed the last week, but because the issue reached so many more people,” said Roach. “In our heads, our goal was if we can educate one person we’re happy, now we are guaranteed that at least one person somewhere was educated on this.”

Stefany Olivas is currently a Biology major at CNM and a garden coordinator for Project Feed The Hood. She plans to use her degree to study garden ecosystems in city environments, and their connection to individual and community health.

Here are a few informative info-graphics included in the article:

]]>http://www.elgritonm.org/2013/04/08/sex-ed-important-topic-for-student-papers/feed/0Gov. Martinez signs corporate tax cut package, others call the measure “far fetched”http://www.elgritonm.org/2013/04/05/gov-martinez-signs-corporate-tax-cut-package-others-call-the-measure-far-fetched/
http://www.elgritonm.org/2013/04/05/gov-martinez-signs-corporate-tax-cut-package-others-call-the-measure-far-fetched/#commentsFri, 05 Apr 2013 14:51:03 +0000Adriana Sanchezhttp://www.elgritonm.org/?p=2777A massive corporate tax package that was rammed through the New Mexico Legislature in the final hour of the 2013 session was signed into law yesterday by Gov. Susana Martinez, who called the package a “game changer” for creating jobs. The two biggest provisions in the bill slash the top corporate income tax rate and eliminate taxes on manufacturers who don’t sell goods within the state. Other provisions in the bill designed to increase state revenue aren’t able to offset the impact of those tax cuts, with the fiscal impact report showing a major hit to the state budget beginning in 2016.

Gov. Martinez and others who champion the bill insist that new jobs created by the tax cuts will bring in more revenue to the state. But others think that idea is “far fetched”.

In a policy brief issued by New Mexico Voices for Children, a research and policy institution that specializes in tax policy, noted that the state slashed the top personal income tax rate in 2003 with similar promises that cutting taxes would create jobs, but that the end result was no measurable increase:

The same promise was made to New Mexicans when top personal income tax rates [...]]]>

A massive corporate tax package that was rammed through the New Mexico Legislature in the final hour of the 2013 session was signed into law yesterday by Gov. Susana Martinez, who called the package a “game changer” for creating jobs. The two biggest provisions in the bill slash the top corporate income tax rate and eliminate taxes on manufacturers who don’t sell goods within the state. Other provisions in the bill designed to increase state revenue aren’t able to offset the impact of those tax cuts, with the fiscal impact report showing a major hit to the state budget beginning in 2016.

Gov. Martinez and others who champion the bill insist that new jobs created by the tax cuts will bring in more revenue to the state. But others think that idea is “far fetched”.

In a policy brief issued by New Mexico Voices for Children, a research and policy institution that specializes in tax policy, noted that the state slashed the top personal income tax rate in 2003 with similar promises that cutting taxes would create jobs, but that the end result was no measurable increase:

The same promise was made to New Mexicans when top personal income tax rates were reduced in 2003. A recent study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities confirmed what close observers of the New Mexico economy had long thought: the economic activity and growth of the period from 2003 to 2008 was powered by high oil and natural gas prices, not by the 2003 personal income tax cuts. That growth was augmented by the impacts of the national housing bubble on New Mexico construction employment. If the effects of oil and natural gas prices and the housing bubble are subtracted, New Mexico economic growth was sub-par in the 2003-2008 period.

The argument that HB-641 will result in accelerated economic activity is equally far-fetched: the personal income tax cuts of 2003 were a very expensive public policy experiment and the result was no measurable increase in economic activity. This experiment will end with the same result.

After the governor signed the bill, Voices for Children said in a statement that when combined with the governor’s veto of a minimum wage increase, the message is that the state prioritizes corporations over working families and children.

“The signing of this bill—coupled with the Good Friday veto of a bill to raise the minimum wage—shows that out-of-state corporations are a higher priority with this administration than New Mexico’s own working families and their children,” said Dr. Veronica C García, Ed.D., Executive Director of New Mexico Voices for Children. “New Mexico’s lowest-paid working families had their long-needed raise vetoed, while profitable corporations got big tax cuts. New Mexico’s lowest-income workers already pay a much higher percentage of their income in state and local taxes than those at the top, and this bill will make that inequity even worse.”

When she vetoed the minimum wage, Martinez said in a statement that the proposed increase of the minimum wage by one dollar would “kill jobs.”

The Voices report also noted the “flawed process” through which the tax cuts were passed. The bill, HB 641, was modified in the Senate in the final hour of the session to bring together in one package a number of tax measures that weren’t able to make it through legislative committees. It was then pushed through the House in the final thirty minutes, completely bypassing the committee process. As the clock ticked down in the final thirty minutes, House representatives mustered enough votes to pass the final bill despite having no fiscal impact report. All they had to rely on was the word of Taxation and Revenue Department Cabinet Secretary Tom Clifford, who in a rare break from House decorum was given the microphone on the floor. Clifford told the legislators that there would be a positive impact on the budget. But when the fiscal impact report became available three days later, it showed a big hit on the budget beginning in 2016.

Senator Jacob Candelaria, who refused to vote in favor of the tax bill, told El Grito he wanted to vote for the film industry subsidy that was the subject of the original bill before it was amended. Candelaria, a Princeton graduate who studied international and public affairs with a focus on economics and finance, said the lack of information presented to legislators about the bill made it impossible for him to support the bill on the floor.

“The risk of the fiscal impact that bill as amended would have on the state, with not knowing what the return on investment actually would be, having no idea of the jobs, no idea of the tax revenue that would be generated, it wasn’t enough for me to vote for the bill simply because the film tax fix was in there,” Candelaria said.

Candelaria said he does “hope it works” but cautioned that the way in which the bill was passed could erode public confidence in the process.

“I don’t think it’s good in the spirit of transparency and accountability and being able to defend our actions to the public; in a variety of issues we take multiple years to debate, to analyze and assess,” he said. “I think there is definitely a downside here, which is that people’s confidence in the process gets eroded a little bit when they see something so huge being done in 24 minutes.”